The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-20
ADVICE FOR BALL-PLAYERS.
An Expert Tells What He Knows in Ref
erence to Preliminary Training.
Managers Recognize the Importance of Hav-
ing Their Players in Good Condition at the
Start-Latest About the Home Club.
special TO the Indianapolis journal.

Journal correspondent of the training |
which the mines have generally undergone to fit
them for the opening season: playing ball is
work of the hardest kind. and at the end of the
season player is all tagged out. A month be-
fore the season Closes he begins to look forward
longingly TO the end and wish it would come.
and when it does come he feels like taking a
months solid sleep. He ought to rest for a
month, at least, walking just enough to keep his
digestion and circulation good, and after he has
become well rested, he should begin to exer-
else with very light Indian clubs. Instead of
training down. he should try to take on
flesh. particularly If he is a thin, nervous man.
After month of rest, which gives the exhausted
system chance to recuper.te. the player should
begin to stretch his muscles easily so as to keep
them flexible. Besides the clubs, there are sew
eral exercises that are good. Anything that
tends to overdevelop the muscles of the shout
ders and chest will interfere with the free action
Of the arms and prove hurtful. The pulley
weights are excellent for working any set Of
muscles For batting practice man can stand
with his side to the wall, grasp the handle with
both hands over the shoulder, and bring the
arms forward just as he would in swinging the
bat This exercise works the muscles of the
side also. and in ali respects is good substitute
for the bag and bat. The back. loins. neck legs
and abdomen can all be exercised with the pull
ley weights. AS in everything else, the weights
should be small, so that no heavy strain may be
put upon any muscle or cord Elasticity, not
hardness nor bigness of muscle, is what a man
should try to develop.
''This regular exercise should be kept up for
about TWO months, and then another month of
comparative rest should be taken before going
into active training for the spring work in the
field. The player needs to take on some flesh
and get his blood strong and rich in order
that the first few weeks of hard work may not
draw directly upon his vitality and weaken him.
He will get worked down fine enough before
the season is over without starting in as thin as
a rail- I would call the men together about
two weeks before the opening of the season and
put them at work in hand-ball court, watch
sne them very closely. Hand ball comes next
20 the real thing, as it requires the same agility
and quckness of eye. and is much better than
the gymnasium because it is game in itself
and is full of amusement and excitement
81 would have the men begin practice throw
Ing about the first of March, insisting upon
starting with light, easy work, and getting into
1t gradually. They ought. also, to walk some
and take short joys out of doors. A man may
be in good gymnasium condition. and still be
unfit for hard outdoor work. Indoor condition
is different from outdoor condition. Let a man
work ali winter in gymnasium and then go
outside and take violent exercise. and he will
surely stlffen up at first. He must accustom
himself to the open air and difference in tenn
, perature before trying to Go too much outside.
Hand-ball playing will put him into outdoor
condition without tanning him. If he does not
attend to this matter but attempts to 60 right
out of the gymnasium and play baseball. he
will feel the effects very unpleasantly. Last
year the New York nine played game the
very next day after being called together. hav-
ing had preliminary outdoor training to
harden the muscles. and the next day the
men who were sore and lame ali over. 1t took
them several weeks to get into condition. They
had to train in the fields, and the result was
that the spring practice was greatly interfered
with, and they did not begin the championship
series in good condition they would have
IL they had been given the proper amount of
preliminary training man just out of a gym.
nasium. with lots of spare flesh feels strong and
thinks he can do anything. Before the public
he Will attempt to do more than his condition
warrants. He will try to throw a ball in from
the field to home plate and strain his shoulder or
lame his arm that he can't throw worth cent
Tor the next week or two. Or he will make a
good hit and try to get in a home rum the result
being lame legs strained knee that makes
him almost useless for several games. An in
Jury to good player at the first Of the season may
be thousands of dollars damage to the club bnt
some men do not seem to appreciate that fact.
When the St Louis Browns were trained BY
Comskey, they came into the field In splendid
condition, and took such lead il the first part
of the season. that club could catch up with
them. The Chicago club were trained we'll last
year, and won the championship. This year the
Chicago men are having five weeks of outdoor
v2ork at Arkansas Hot Springs, under Anson's
direction and they will show up in fine form
and be able to play well right from the start.
'Many ball-players show mp for the first game
about twenty-five pounds overweight, and they
have to work that off before they handle
themselves WE'LL 1t is not advisable to begin in
what a trainer calls condition. because one soor
feels tired, but neither is it we'll to have a great
deal of extra flesh. The exact condition to be
recommended depends upon the Temperament
Of the player, and must be decided by common
sense rules. The subject of proper training ha.
been too much neglected by baseball men, bu
it is beginning to receive attention. and eventu
ally system will be adopted ant
its observance enforced by discipline
In the clubs. Some players ar
sensible enough to see the Importance of rationa
training and will take care of themselves an,
study up the best methods, but there are man,
foolish fellows who never think of anything i,
that line, don't understand themselves vel
enough to work properly, and need to be direct
cd and compelled to follow instructions. Tn
calling together of most of the clubs severa
weeks earlier this year than heretofore indicate
that managers are waking up to the importanc
of having their men fit for work at the start
Discipline ought to be more strict during TIL
base ball season, and men should not be alowe
to knock about and abuse their stomachs a
many of them do While travelling about tn
country and getting frequent changes of foo
and water, it is difficult enough to keep tn
stomach right with the greatest care. A min
has been disabled by one mans recklessness il
eating more than once. A baseball playe
never ought to be seen in a bar room during tn
. season. He may go into glass Of beer. but n
f-.~ IL ,k. 1c;e N,~~ e.
or five drinks that do him no good and that h
doesn't want, and somebody goes about report
ing that he WAS drunk. A thin player may &c
some benefit from bottle OF ale with his mea